The TWELVE Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I know it's been about a hundred years since this blog has been updated, but much has transpired. Check back periodically for its inevitable return! In the meantime, watch this fabulous video about Twelve's upcoming novel, Rich Boy.

Matt Richtel wins Pulitzer!

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:06:00 +0000

Recently, one of Twelve’s own authors, the one and only Matt Richtel (Hooked), was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting! Matt was selected, to quote www.pulitzer.org, for “a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs, in print or online or both,” and his series of New York Times articles on the dangers of “distracted driving” are thought provoking, informative, and perhaps most of all, alarming.

“Driven to Distraction,” the aptly named title of Matt’s now Pulitzer-winning article series, focuses on the dangers of driving while using a cell phone (among other devices). Driving while chatting on your mobile, texting a friend, or as will be seen in the near future, browsing the web, is remarkably dangerous – based on a Harvard study, 570,000 car accidents a year are caused by “cell phone distractions.” Matt’s articles cover all areas of this issue, with well-rounded reporting that incorporates car companies, software companies, mobile manufacturers, congress, and protest groups. The “Driven to Distraction” section even includes a nifty little game that simulates a texting-while-driving situation. It’s an excellent and slightly disturbing way of showing just how distracting texting can be. (I failed miserably, but fortunately, like any conscientious person, I don’t use my cell phone while driving.)

Funnily enough, Matt Richtel (under the pseudonym Theron Heir) is also a cartoonist for the hilarious comic strip, “Rudy Park.” Since we’re on the topic of the evils of texting, I thought this accompanying comic would be fitting.

P.S. Here’s a link to Hooked: http://ow.ly/1EkW6. Embedding it causes Blogger to spontaneously combust.

~Marjorie DeWitt

Weintraub Release and Don Imus appearance

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:49:00 +0000

Über producer and Hollywood mogul Jerry Weintraub's new book, When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead was released this past Wednesday. It's a truly wonderful book, filled with amazing stories about George Clooney, Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra, George H.W. Bush and many, many more. As one might expect, Jerry has a lot of moxie, and it shows in this book. It's great to see how a Brooklyn-born son of jeweler made it to the top, becoming one of the most influential figures in show biz.

Jerry was on Imus in the Morning yesterday, where he regaled Don Imus with stories of Elvis and John Denver. It's a fabulous interview, so fabulous that I saw fit to include it here. Jerry starts talking about Denver at around the 6-minute mark, and at approximately 7:30, he very candidly discusses his slightly unusual marital situation.

Click here to learn more about When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead. As Don Imus says, "It's so much fun to read, it's ridiculous."

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:57:00 +0000

The eagerly anticipated iPad has finally been released, and since everyone else on the internet is writing about it, I thought it only right to say a little something myself. Feel free to comment, critique, and/or correct.

To me, despite the hype and the sales figures, it all comes down to this: Is the middle place between laptop and phone really a space we’re dying to fill— or will the iPad fall through that metaphorical hole?

On the entertainment side of things, the iPad does have a lot of advantages. If you’re looking for a portable entertainment device that’s more engrossing than your mobile and, well, not as heavy as your living room’s entertainment unit, the iPad seems like a good bet. However, I have to question some of the “benefits” I’ve seen reviewers praising. Many cite the iPad’s twitter and texting functionality as a huge plus to the gadget, but this seems dubious. I can’t see how texting or tweeting would be made easier or more fun with an iPad, when a phone is so much more portable. Indeed, the cell phone remains the ultimate Twitter device: you can pull it out of your pocket the next time a random something inspires a text/tweet. What would you do with an iPad? Pull it out of your bag? Balance it on our knees while typing in your flash of inspiration? Maybe we’ll see an iPad utility belt in the future...

Of course, considering this blog is for a publishing imprint, I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss eBooks. At this point, I think nearly everything that can be said about eBooks on the iPad has already been discussed ad nauseam. In my opinion, the eBook library interface on the iPad is an improvement on what the typical eReader provides, and I’m thankful for that. Seeing all of your eBooks on a brilliantly colored ‘shelf’ may well fill your heart with gladness. Somehow, I suspect that those people who love their new device and all the great, fun things it does, will also love that they can read excellent books on it.

In sum: the iPad certainly seems to offer a fun and entertaining experience for those who hope to use it for those reasons. It seems like just the right device for a long car ride, or for a living room that has had its TV commandeered by someone who wants to watch opening day of baseball season.

For those who are interested, here’s a positive review and a negative review of the iPad.

What do you think?

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Recently, Hachette Book Group announced its plans for an enriched eBook of David Baldacci’s Deliver Us from Evil. As Jason Boog of GalleyCat writes in his article, it certainly seems to promise an “enriching” reading experience. To me, it sounds a lot like a special edition DVD, with behind-the-scenes video, deleted content, and other windows into the creative process.

After perusing some author websites, it occurred to me that the enriched eBook really is a promising idea. For those who are interested in how their favorite author crafts his tales, the EE will be able to include, say, audio Q and A, or video of the author’s office, or scans of story outlines and the like. For the curious/voracious reader, deleted passages from the manuscript could be included to provide more insider info on characters, lost subplots, or even, as in the case of the Baldacci EE, alternate endings.

All told, this seems to enable a slightly more active reading experience (at least in some ways) without being invasive. The special features can be looked at when the reader decides to look at them (and turned off/ignored when the reader doesn't). For example, let’s say you’re reading a new thriller EE, with supplementary images of exotic terrain and fancy new vehicles. You can choose to have a look at the Gobi Desert while you’re reading (so you know what it looks like), or after you’ve finished the book (so you’re not interfering with what you’re imagining).

From a social point of view, I think this also signals a move in an intriguing direction – a direction in which our reading and our conversations about reading are merging together. With EEs like Baldacci’s we can immediately learn what the author thinks of his novel, how it compares to his vision, and how he may want the reader to approach it. Perhaps someday, what with the imminent popularity of all-in-one devices like the iPad, our e-reading experience will incorporate IMs/texting (presumably about the writing) while reading. Which makes me wonder, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Yesterday (March 17), Sheena Iyengar was featured in a delightful article in the “Home” section of the New York Times. In the article, we learn a bit more about how Sheena, an expert on choice and author of this month’s The Art of Choosing, makes choices in her own life.

“We’re born with the desire, but we don’t really know how to choose,’ [Sheena] said. ‘We don’t know what our taste is, and we don’t know what we are seeing. I’m a great believer in the idea of not choosing based on our taste. I could wear makeup today, and one person would say it looks bland, another would say it looks fake, and another might tell me I look really natural. Everyone is convinced their opinion is the truth, and that’s what I struggle against. But doesn’t everyone? What I do is aim for consensus. That’s my rule of how to choose.”
In addition to the need for consensus that Sheena suggests above, the article also discusses how paralyzing too many choices can be, how simply having a choice can make us happier, and the best way to approach buying furniture for your own home.

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Awards abound! Congratulations this week go to Dave Cullen – his book, Columbine has been named the 2009 Discover Great Writers Award winner in Nonfiction. Columbine is also a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

In other Cullen news, Dave posted an essay on The Daily Beast from the Afterword to the paperback edition of Columbine revealing the secret meeting of Eric Harris' parents with his victims' kin—offering a rare glimpse into how they saw their son. It’s truly a heart wrenching and perplexing read.

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:58:00 +0000

On Monday, Nurtureshock won for best Childcare/Parenting book at the 14th annual Books for A Better Life Awards. Sponsored by the Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society, the awards recognize self-improvement authors whose books “inspire people to live their best lives.”

Congratulations to authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman for this wonderful accomplishment!

~Marjorie DeWitt

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Over the weekend, Newsweek’s Dahlia Lithwick reviewed Twelve’s latest hardcover, The Autobiography Of An Execution for the Times book review. In addition to an interesting discussion of the book’s legal content, she singles out the “meatiness” of David R. Dow’s memoir:

“What Dow exposes in this dark, raw memoir is not just a dispassionate machinery of death that cannot be slowed, reversed or mediated by truth, logic or fact. He also exposes the inner life of a man who, in the face of all that, cannot give up the fight.”
Read the rest of the review here, and check out Dahlia’s regular column at Newsweek.com.

~Marjorie DeWitt

Two Fantastic Essays by Dan Menaker, author of A GOOD TALK

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Over at the WSJ's Speakeasy blog, A Good Talk author Dan Menaker deploys his characteristic humor with a dash of pathos in a post you can read here. He begins:

In April of 2008, an X-ray revealed that I had a tumor in the upper lobe of my left lung. It was almost surely cancer, but it was small enough to be classified Stage 1A — the “best” stage. This peristalsis-stimulating diagnosis led not only to fear in me and my family and friends but to some of the most important conversations I’ve ever had, of which I will give you a small sampling here. They are not the aimless conversations that I focus on in my book, “A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation,” just about to be published, but they did have their wacky and off-target moments and their considerable non-medical rewards.

The subsequent conversations are tender, hilarious, and moving. We can't recommend it enough.

In other Menaker news, Dan has a great essay in this month's O magazine, titled "How to Break The Ice." One wonderful snippet:

Now, in terms of ending a conversation, I had an aunt who was a Quaker, and she and my uncle used to have people over for dinner, and sometimes when the guests got up to leave, they would trail on and on and on and just keep talking—until my aunt, who was a terrifically nice, cherubic person, would finally say, "Thee may go, or thee may stay, but don't ooze."

Learn more about the book here, or at Dan's website.

Twelve is on Twitter!

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Per our mission statement, we're always seeking out new ways to "establish communities of conversation surrounding our books." Twitter seemed like a natural way to do this. If you'd like, please follow us!

http://twitter.com/twelvebooks

CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS ON KAZUO ISHIGURO

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Twelve's own Christopher Hitchens is -- as always -- making the rounds. This week finds him musing on the "crepuscular prose" of Kazuo Ishiguro's latest, Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, out from Knopf.

You can read his review here.. though you may want to read an excerpt before you let the world's "foremost rhetorical pugilist" (here working with great subtlety) influence your opinions!

A MESSAGE FROM THE TWELVE PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The following is a message from Cary Goldstein, Twelve's Director of Publicity.

We are gratified by the intense interest in and enthusiastic reaction to True Compass by Senator Edward M. Kennedy. We also regret we are unable to make the book available to you immediately. We are eager to share this extraordinary autobiography with you. This is not yet possible because the book has not reached most booksellers, including major national accounts and independent stores. We know how frustrated readers can get when they can't find a book, and we also know how frustrated booksellers can get when they cannot meet demand (or when certain accounts have an unfair advantage by selling early). That's why we set a uniform national on-sale date of September 14, which is the earliest we can guarantee all readers and booksellers access to True Compass.

While we recognize the news value of the book, one of our objectives as a publisher is to facilitate a national conversation among readers. That conversation will be better and more informed when everyone has access to True Compass on September 14th, and we eagerly await that day. At that time, we will also post the first chapter at www.twelvebooks.com. In the interim, we appreciate your patience, your understanding, and the strict adherence among booksellers to our embargo.

-- Cary Goldstein, Director of Publicity

A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:26:00 +0000

The following is a message from Jon Karp, Twelve's Editor-in-Chief.

The greatest experience of my twenty years in the publishing business has been working with Edward M. Kennedy on his long-awaited autobiography, True Compass, which Twelve will publish on September 14. Over the past two years, I've had the incredible opportunity of asking Senator Kennedy every question I could think of – and receiving answers that deepened my understanding of national politics and took me inside one of the most heralded families in America. His book will be a revelation, an international event, and a lasting contribution to American history.

Senator Kennedy kept a personal journal through nearly 50 years of his public life, beginning with John F. Kennedy’s campaign for president in 1960. Five years ago, he began an oral history project at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, where he began to address all aspects of his life – his family, his career in the Senate, and his view of the historic events of our time. In writing his memoirs, he worked with collaborator Ron Powers, co-author of the #1 bestseller Flags of Our Fathers and author of Mark Twain: A Life, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

The manuscript is 650 pages and I’ve read every word of it multiple times; it is dazzling – a candid, heartfelt, and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Karp
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
TWELVE

For your Friday Afternoon: TWELVE Steps to Better Book Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:48:00 +0000

In case you missed it" Twelve's Editor-In-Chief penned an article for Publishers Weekly recently, describing what publishers can do to succeed in an increasingly difficult industry. Most of the advice boils down to simply being realistic.

We are acquiring and publishing too many books. We buy them opportunistically, and at times thoughtlessly. We edit and launch them too quickly. We market them carelessly and ephemerally. Too often, we abdicate our responsibility to be filters, guides, guardians and gatekeepers. And now, as in many other industries, we are suffering the effects.

There's some humor, luckily, to take the edge off of this bleak assessment. Karp supports his claims by taking the reader on a tour of his local bookstore-- pointing out some dazzlingly superfluous works:

Who could resist a history of the potato, titled, of course, Potato. Amazingly, this wasn't the only work available on the subject. There's also The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World. Wasn't it intellectually responsible of the publisher to limit the scope of the subtitle to the Western world?

To read the rest, including twelve specific steps to a more sustainable publishing model, and more books that lack reasons to exist, click here.

CHRIS MATTHEWS DISCUSSES LOSING MUM AND PUP

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Today on The Daily Beast: Christ Matthews-- host of Hardball, bestselling author, survivor of malaria-- asks whether Losing Mum and Pup satisfies JFK's criterion for biographical success (i.e., Does it compelling convey what its subject was like?). Its an interesting question, and a complicated one. Here are some key excerpts:

"If [Buckley] left some things out as he takes us through his parents’ last months, it’s like one of those plays by Harold Pinter. What he doesn’t say says a lot."

"As you read Buckley’s story of the year in which he lost both parents, there’s a “life goes on” quality to it all. He seems to be saying in numerous ways that, given it all—the spats, the toughness—the palpable love between his parents won in the end."

You can read the whole thing here; to see other recent reviews of the book, check out:

Janet Maslin, "Turns out it all Does Seem Funny," New York Times
Mona Charen, "Under Buckley's Giant Shadow," The National Review
John R. Coyne, Jr., "Son's Memoir Honors "Great" Buckley Parents," Washington Times

BUCKLEY TALKS "MUM AND PUP"

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:14:00 +0000

In last week's Weekend Edition, Scott Simon met up with Twelve's Christopher Buckley to discuss his parents-- Patricia and William F. Buckley-- the subjects of his new memoir LOSING MUM AND PUP. There are many revelations about the pair, some of them funny, some of them more raw. Of the dynamics of the glamorous pair, he says,

He was the intellectual and she had beauty and style, so together they made really for quite a formidable pair. But when it's your mom and your dad, that's not the most important thing. The most important thing with your mom or dad is your relationship with them."

You can click here to hear the interview, and to read NPR's writeup, and here to read more about the book, which pubs on April 15.

AUTHOR VIDEO: DAVE CULLEN DISCUSSES COLUMBINE

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:32:00 +0000

On April 20, 1999, two boys left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Their goal was simple: to blow up their school, Oklahoma City-style, and to leave "a lasting impression on the world." Their bombs failed, but the ensuing shooting defined a new era of school violence--irrevocably branding every subsequent shooting "another Columbine."

In the video below, Dave Cullen--author of Twelve's April 2009 title COLUMBINE-- discusses the 10-year odyssey of researching and writing the book the Chicago Tribune calls the book, "An astonishingly comprehensive look at the incident and the decade of struggle in its aftermath." The book-- an astonishing account of two good students with lots of friends who would ultimately evolve into cold-blooded killers-- is out in hardcover this month.

Liz Kelly Explains the Falcon

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:20:00 +0000

The Falcon, the eccentric, remote patriarch-figure who presides over Apologize, Apologize!, is many things: Dickens scholar, obsessive ornithologist, cunning businessman, epic terminator of employees. When he first arrives on the scene, we can tell that he's a bit different from the other people in Collie's family.

A sparrow couldn't fall from a tree without eliciting wildly divergent commentary from Ma and Pop and Uncle Tom, who made up the adult members of my immediate household. Looming in the distance, constant and reminding, was my maternal grandfather, Peregrine Lowell, a man of expansive wingspread we called the Falcon, who roosted at great heights, poised to fly in and finish off lesser birds in midplummet.

In this post, Liz Kelly explains the source material behind this impenetrable figure. Apparently, it has a lot to do with Rupert Murdoch; read on to see.

Similarities:
Peregrine Lowell has one nickname, The Falcon. Rupert Murdoch has several including, Red Rupert, Dirty Digger, Koala Kong, and Rotten Old Bastard. Despite their reputations as old-style newspaper guys, the obvious sobriquet, "Scoop" has eluded both.
The Falcon's company is called Thought-Fox Inc. (after a Ted Hughes poem); Murdoch owns Fox Entertainment Group--editors and writers alike compete to see who can resist the temptation to declare each of the billionaire barons to be, "crazy--like a fox!"
Their families reveal that both CEOs like to review their newspapers over breakfast--nothing like the smell of eviscerated journos in the morning. Neither Falcon nor Rupert is likely to dance on Ellen. The Falcon has a vulgar, obscenity-spewing parrot called Carlos: Murdoch has Bill O'Reilly.
Murdoch has a reputation for using his media outlets to attack opponents. The Falcon, a bird enthusiast, once wrote a guest editorial in one of hissmall-town newspapers championing the rights of songbirds by banning outdoorcats. Biographer Michael Wolff describes Rupert Murdoch as a "manipulativebastard." The Falcon's daughter is writing a roman a clef about her fathercalled The Bastard.
As children of privilege, both were born with silver spoons in their mouths; as employers, they're more likely to be found with, "one foot up your ass."
Like Fidel Castro and Kim Jong il, the Falcon and Murdoch, reject the concept of retirement at any age. Interestingly, the people around them compulsively dream of "Freedom 25" or death's sweet release.
Differences:
The most interesting thing about the Falcon is his character; the most interesting thing about Murdoch is his penchant for wearing singlets.
Falcon's daughter, Anais, accuses him of murdering her mother; Murdoch's daughter, Prudence, reveals that he dyes his own hair in the kitchen sink.
Both men have grandchildren, although Rupert Murdoch rejects the traditional route of relying on his children and prefers to produce his own.
Falcon is a Dickens scholar who writes authoritative books on the subject. Rupert Murdoch published Jenna Jameson's How to Make Love like a Porn Star.
Rupert Murdoch famously fired Judith Regan and Jane Friedman--Falcon famously hired one woman: his maid Ingrid.
Neither man suffers fools gladly, though Murdoch makes exception for Bono.

The Lizard King: A Hatchling Tale

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Earlier this month, TWELVE author Bryan Christy toured Southeast Asia-- promoting The Lizard King, and learning of the book's positive impact on the wildlife laws of the region. In this blog post, he shares some of the highpoints of the trip, and reveals just what it feels like to be treated like a "minor rock star" in Thailand and Malaysia.

_______________________________

I've returned from three weeks in Southeast Asia, ground zero for international wildlife trafficking. I was invited there by a number of organizations, including the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Singapore Law School, the Siam Society of Bangkok, and MPH Bookstore.

In Malaysia, where I spent the most of the trip, I felt like a minor rock star. I appeared on a Regis and Kelly-type morning television show and the Charlie Rose-style, "Point of View." I did FM radio from LiteFM to TraXX (this is not the range it might appear to be). I spent afternoons at a Starbucks while every 90 minutes another reporter showed up for his or her appointment. Every major newspaper, from the free daily to Malaysia's top three papers, has covered The Lizard King, most with a full page or more. I am told that more stories have appeared on wildlife trade in Malaysia in the five months since The Lizard King appeared than during the past three years.

The main interest in Asia is the chapter entitled, Fortress Malaysia, which chronicles the undercover operation against Malaysian Anson Wong, "Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking," and his role in the syndicate run by The Lizard King, Mike Van Nostrand. Anson confirms what many in Malaysia have long believed: government corruption is what makes their country wildlife trafficking's top hub.

Predictably, the Malaysian Wildlife Department has criticized the book, calling it "a fiction" to one newspaper. I obtained a copy of the Department's official statement, which describes The Lizard King as "... merely a fiction. An imaginative literary work and it involved [sic] imagination, fantasy, invention, fabrication and made-up story." The statement goes on to praise Anson Wong for carrying out his business legally.

Central casting could not have provided a better governmental thug.

That's not me talking, it's the Malaysian people. Letters poured into the media decrying the Wildlife Department's defensive response. The Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, the trade-monitoring arm of the World Wildlife Fund, called on the Wildlife Department to investigate corruption presented in The Lizard King, as the Royal Malaysian Customs Department promised it would do. In coming weeks the Ministry of Environment overseeing the Wildlife Department changed its tone. It issued statements acknowledging that Malaysian law was inadequate to deal with criminal syndicates and promising to amend the law to address such crimes. The government also promised to increase enforcement at the country's borders. Those familiar with PR efforts await the pudding, but it is a start, and I'm proud of it.

The book has had other impact. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia has begun distributing it during its law enforcement trainings throughout the region. A new judiciary workshop has designed a case study around it. Universities are asking how to include the book in their environmental programs. I have received thanks from law enforcement officers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Thailand, Japan--and, most rewarding, from Malaysia.

Given the Malaysian Wildlife Department's official response I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the Academy of Sciences in Kuala Lumpur. To my great and humbling surprise, wildlife officers from around the country drove hours in some cases to hear me speak. Their courageous, career-risking acts broke my heart. Veterinary programs in the U.S. have asked me to come and speak on the world of exotic animal trade. The reptile world, too, has embraced the book. For three days I autographed books at a Border's booth at the world's largest reptile trade show.

The Lizard King is less than six months old. It has fused my childhood passion for reptiles with my adult interests in law and culture. I'm pleased it's made it from the egg to the ocean.

--Bryan Christy

The TwelveBooks podcast: Henry Alford on HOW TO LIVE

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Prepare yourself for the son et lumiere (or really just the son) of Henry Alford, who inaugurates Twelve's podcast with a reading and discussion of HOW TO LIVE: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still On This Earth). You can tell that Alford is a radio pro. We're working on making it available through iTunes.

SOME LAST WORDS ON 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:21:00 +0000

"Let's cut to the chase.
2008 was not a happy year."

It's not pretty, but Eric Weiner has a point:

"The U.S. economy sputtered, then went splat. The news from abroad wasn't much better. India suffered one if its worst ever terrorist attacks. China was hit by a devastating earthquake. Iceland, for years one of the world's happiest countries, experienced a financial meltdown. (More about that later.)"

Luckily, just before you embark on a three-day Xanax spiral, there's a reprieve:

So can we conclude that, given the grim headlines, we're all miserable now? Is the world really a less happy place? Not necessarily. Happiness bubbles are made of sterner stuff than real estate or stock bubbles. It takes a lot to shake a nation's happiness.

Phew! Click through to read the rest of Eric's full, frank appraisal of 2008. (You can also click here to read more about The Geography of Bliss, which is out in paperback this month).

BEHIND THE BOOK: Henry Alford dishes on "How To Live"

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:53:00 +0000

This month, Twelve is proud to publish How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still On This Earth). Publishers Weekly has called it one of the year's best books, and Vanity Fair has lauded the book for its "intellectual nimbleness," finding it "on par with Wilde and Benchley." Here, Henry answers questions posed by a mysterious stranger-- identified as Q-- summing up what it was like to write the book. You can visit Henry Alford's fabulous website here.

Q: So, what's the wisest thing in the book?
A: There's an Indonesian fisherman named Salama Kalathalay who saw portents of doom on the morning of the tsunami in 2003, and was able to save thousands of lives by telling his fellow tribe members to climb a local mountain.

Q: Nice...And didn't I read somewhere that your mother and stepfather's 23 year-long marriage erupted into flames as a result of this book?
A: Yes. They were NOT able to climb a local mountain.

Q: And, now that you've finished writing the book, what was your favorite part of working on it?
A: I will always cherish the time I spent with Sylvia Miles in her bathroom.

Q: Yes, that would be a high point for anyone...Well, I've heard a lot of buzz about "How to Live," so I'm predicting good things for you.
A: My only worry is that I'll run into the literary equivalent of the Bradley Effect--people who *SAY* they're interested in a book about old people but who, when they get in the store, buy a book about young people.

Q: I hate those people.
A: Thank you for your anger, Q.

TWELVE QUESTIONS FOR... Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

noreply@blogger.com (Twelve Books) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Rachel is the mastermind behind My Little Red Book ("a rich, welcome collection for readers of various ages and, perhaps surprisingly, more than one gender," --Booklist), which Twelve will publish in February. Recently, we asked her to answer Twelve questions for us (something we hope to make into a regular Author feature); you can visit Rachel's website here.

1. What are a few of your favorite books?

Lolita, Tropic of Cancer, Fear of Flying, Everybody Poops.

2. Can we coerce you into naming a favorite Twelve book?

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is a clear winner. I mean, I am going to culinary school.

3. You're always so polished when we see you. Did you come out of the womb like this?

Depends on the time of the month.

4. "Traumarama" is this feature in Seventeen magazine where people talk about their horrific, embarrassing moments. What do you think of Traumarama? Are we allowed to like it? Or is it bad?

I love the concept of Traumarama. It's exactly the same message that I hope My Little Red Book sends: talking about cringeworthy experiences, especially with a sense of humor, alleviates embarrassment and lets girls know they are not alone. It’s just too bad that most of the stories are incredibly banal and written casually enough to be part of an IM conversation.

5. O, wise Francophone: Is there a prevailing French attitude on periods?

There is the old French superstition that women can't make good mayonnaise during their period...but seeing as I've only had good mayonnaise so far, it's probably no longer true.

6. What do guys say when you tell them about the book?

Ironically, guys have taken it way more nonchalantly than girls. The ones that are taken aback will ask, "You wrote a book?" and not "You wrote a book about Periods?" As it turns out, one of my guy roommates may be one of the book's biggest fans: see his blog at http://yaudaipur.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-little-red-book.html

7. Did Gloria Steinem intimidate you?

I first met her I when was 14 and she had just given a talk to the Yale Women's Center. After, a swarm of reporters and feminists were crowding around, yelling questions, and there I was, still embarrassed to talk about periods out loud, holding my measly collection of ten stories in a manila folder to show her. When it was finally my turn to speak, I froze. So, yes. And she still does.

8. There's a site where people post artwork they've made from their menstrual blood. Thoughts? Feelings?

Why not? Men piss pictures in snow without any controversy. But as to the quality of the art itself, it doesn't..erm..inspire me.

9. What was it like to collect the first few stories-- before you hit your stride?

Those were definitely the hardest stories to collect. Those first few women were the biggest risk-takers of the book and I owe them enormous thanks.

10. Are you nervous, at all, to be known as "the period girl" at college?

I'm trying to tell myself that it will weed out the guys that I wouldn't want to know anyways.

11. Will you celebrate when the book comes out, wherever you are? (India, maybe?)

Of course! I'm already brainstorming for a painlessly punny title of the event. I've nixed Cherry in the Sherry Shindig, the full strop frolic, and the period party. I'm thinking...the masqueRED.

12. Are we ever going to get croissants in the mail?

Well, I got a B+ for my croissant class. And I wouldn't want you to have subpar croissants, now. But check out the picture and I'll let you be the judge.

[Ed: They look good to us!]

The TWELVE Blog

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A MESSAGE FROM THE TWELVE PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT

The following is a message from Cary Goldstein, Twelve's Director of Publicity.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

For your Friday Afternoon: TWELVE Steps to Better Book Publishing

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